Efforts by Philippine authorities to capture wanted criminals hiding across Southeast Asia have gained a major boost after the Senate voting body unanimously ratified the ASEAN Treaty on Extradition.
The lawmakers approved Proposed Senate Resolution No. 623 on its third and final reading with a 20-0 vote, recording zero negative votes and no abstentions. The measure was sponsored on the Senate floor by Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri in his capacity as head of the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Zubiri commended his colleagues for supporting the regional pact, pointing out that the timing aligns with the Philippines hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in November.
”Nagpapasalamat po ako sa ating mga kasamahan sa Senado para sa boto nila dito sa ASEAN Extradition Treaty, lalo na at tayo po ngayon ang host country ng Association of Southeast Asian Nations this coming November,” Zubiri stated while explaining his vote.
“Napakarami pong mga world leaders na pupunta dito sa ating bansa kasama na ang ating mga ASEAN leaders,” he said.
The lawmaker emphasized that the treaty provides a unified mechanism across the region, allowing member states to streamline requests for fugitives escaping prosecution or those already facing final convictions.
“And this ASEAN Treaty on Extradition allows us to have a legal basis for extradition with all ASEAN member-states even the ones we don’t have bilateral extradition treaties with. Transnational crimes flourish because the juridical powers of one country end where another country begins,” he noted.
Zubiri stated that setting up a unified regional policy will deter criminal elements from taking advantage of jurisdictional gaps between borders.
“So by establishing a region-wide extradition framework, we are limiting the ability of fugitives to exploit the national and legal borders. Everywhere they go in the ASEAN, there will be eyes on them and no fugitive will find safe harbor anywhere in the region,” he explained.
According to PSR 623, the Department of Justice (DOJ), alongside the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and other state bodies, will oversee the implementation process in compliance with national laws and constitutional due process.
The resolution requires Senate concurrence should the country decide to exit the treaty in the future.
The resolution received backing from key security and legal institutions, including the DFA, DOJ, National Prosecution Service, National Security Council, Philippine Center on Transnational Crime, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Bureau of Immigration.
Zubiri reaffirmed that the accord will empower domestic authorities to track down offenders across the block, while creating a standardized system for extraditing individuals sought by partner nations.
“I thank my colleagues once again for supporting this treaty, being your chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations,” Zubiri concluded.